Rail anchor



5mm., W49.

Filed March 8, 1946 R. s. STEPHENS 2,480,975

' RAIL ANCHOR 2 Sheets-Sheet l 5mm. 6, w49. R. s. STEPHENS 2,480,935

RAIL ANCHOR i Filed March 8, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 latenteci Slept. 6, 194g UNITED STATES PATENT ,OFFICE RAIL ANCHOR Robert S. Stephens, Decatur, Ill.

Application March 8, 1946, Serial No. 652,991

(o1. 23S- 315) 'A Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in rail anchors and especially to the class of rail anchor devices which function to resist both forward and reverse creeping movements of a railroad rail.

A principal object of the invention is to provide an anchor device oi the above class which grips the opposite vertical edges of the base portion of a railroad rail without overlying the upper surface thereof to any substantial extent and is iiexed into interlocking engagement with a tie-plate to maintain the rail anchor in its operative spring gripping engagement on the rail and to also maintain a shackle hold on opposite edges of the rail base in addition to said spring gripping engagement.

A further object is to provide an improved anchor device of the above general class which, in one position assumed during its application to a rail, will engage over the opposite vertical edges of the rail base for which it is constructed with suiiicient looseness to accommodate rail bases of oversize widths such as may result from the normal wear on the rolls used in the manufacture of the rails and which is formed with an arm adapted to be flexed toward the rail into an interlocking engagement with a tie-plate, whereby the portion of the anchor device which grips the rail base is moved to a position extending diagonally across the base portion of the rail and maintains its hold thereon by virtue of the resilience of the flexed portion of the device and also exerts a shackle gripping action on the rail base by virtue of its diagonal position.

A further object is to provide an anchor device of the above general class which has an interlocking engagement with a tie-plate, but which will permit the rail to move vertically of the tieplate, for example during the normal vertical wave movements of the rail, without subjecting the wall of the tie-plate opening and the portion oi the anchor engaged therewith to substantial rubbing engagement and therefore minimize the wear on these parts.

A further specic object oi the invention is to provide an anchor oi the above class of simplii'ied construction which be readily and conveniently formed by bending operations and which, when applied to its operative position on the base portion of a rail will be readiy dislodged from the rail by a derailed wheel and thereby prevent notching or breaking out portions of the rail base flange such as frequently happens when a derailed wheel supported on and rolling along the base flange of a railroad rail strikes a rail anchor which is provided with portions overlying the top surface of the rail base flange.

Other objects and advantages of the invention willappear from the detailed description of the form of the invention shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a railroad rail and portions of an underlying tie-plate and crosstie illustrating a rail anchor constructed in acn cordance with this invention applied to the rail and engaged with the tie-plate.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the anchor device taken on line 2-.2 of Fig. 1 so as to throw a portion of the tie-plate in section.

Fig. 3 is a Vertical section taken through the rail and anchor device on line 3 3 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the manner in which the rail anchor device interlocks with `the lower edge portion of a tieplate, the said figure being taken substantially on line l-4 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings: A railroad rail designated by the reference numeral lill is supported on a stationary part of a roadbed cornposed of a cross-tie H and a tie-plate l2, the latter of which is interposed between the top surface of the cross-tie and the bottom surface of the base portion I3 of the rail. The tie-plate is preferably formed rat opposite sides of the rail with vertically extending ribs Ill-i5 which provide lateral abutments for opposite edges of the rail base. The said tie-plate may be secured to the cross-tie by any suitable means, for example by the usual spikes lli which are driven into the cross-tie through one of the several spike openings formed in the plate. Ordinarily, there are four spike openings, but the spike iasteners are applied in only two such openings, one on either side of the rail, thereby leaving an opening, for example opening l1 which may be utilized as in connection with the present invention, to provide an interlocking connection between the tie-plate and the anchor device.

The anchor device of the present invention is designated generally by the reference numeral I8 and is composed of a metal bar, preferably of steel to provide suitable resilience. The ends of the bar are bent to extend at substantially right angles to each other when viewed in plan so as to provide a portion |9 which extends across beneath the rail base and a portion 2li which extends lengthwise of the rail. The portion I9 is formed at one end with an upstanding portion 2| adapted to engage the vertical edge portion of one rail base flange. The other end of the portion I9 is provided with a similar upstanding portion 22 which stands opposite the vertical edge portion of the other base flange of the rail. The arm 20 is bowed so that its extremity 23 extends outwardly from the rail base as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and the inner face of the arm engages the edge portion of the rail base substantially at the point designated 24. This point of engagement may be different, depending upon the initial fit of the anchor device on the rail, Preferably, the distance between the portions 2l and 22 of the anchor is slightly greater than the width of the rail base so that when the anchor is positioned witn tne portion le at right angles to the length or tne rail, tnere will be substantial clearance between the portions 2l- 22 and the adjacent vertical surfaces or the raii base. lljhis construction permits tne ancnor to be readily applied to rail bases which vary in width. ''ne anchor device is brought into tight gripping engagement witn the opposite vertical edges oi the rail base by forcing the resilient arm toward the adjacent edge or the ran base. This flexing movement oi tne arm turns the under-rail portion i9 from the right angular position to the diagonal position indicated in Fig. 1 and effects a spring snaclile grip between the point 2st oi' the arm 2U and the edge 25 of the portion 2i. The extremity 23 of the resilient arm 20 is formed with a downturned portion 2t adapted to extend into the spike opening I'l. The said downwardly bent portion 26 is also preferably curved laterally as indicated by the reference numeral 2i in Fig. 4 and may be formed at its lower outer edge wtih a lip 28 adapted to snap into locking position beneath the lower corner 29 of the spike opening i1 so as to prevent the portion 26 from being accidentally withdrawn from the spike opening. The arm 20 in addition to being bowed outwardly from the rail base, is provided with a portion off-set upwardly to provide a recess 30 adapted to fit over a portion of a shoulder l5 of the tie-plate intervening between the spike opening I9 and the adjacent edge of the plate.

When the anchor is in its final position, there will preferably be a slight clearance 3| between the extreme end 23 of the arm 20 and the adjacent edge of the rail base.

While the invention is illustrated herein in connection with one specific form of device, it will be obvious to persons experienced in this art that the features of the invention may be embodied in devices of other specific form. The invention, therefore, contemplates all such changes in structure as come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rail anchor for resisting longitudinal creeping movements of a railroad rail comprising a bar bent intermediate its ends to provide arms, one of which extends beneath the rail and is provided with an abutment for engaging a vertical edge portion of the rail base at one side of the rail and the other arm extends lengthwise of the rail along a vertical edge portion of the rail base at the other side of the rail and is'provided with a bearing surface engaging the last mentioned vertical edge portion adjacent the first mentioned arm but diverges outwardly from the rail base from the said bearing surface to the end of the arm and is adapted to be tensioned by forcibly flexing the arm in a direction toward the 4 rail, whereby manual movement of the diverging arm about said bearing surface engagement with the rail and in a direction toward the rail moves the rst mentioned arm to a position extending diagonally across the rail base, tensions the diverging arm, and forces said abutment and said bearing surface into resilient gripping engagement with the opposite edges of the rail base, and fastening means engaging the diverging arm to hold it under tension.

2. A rail anchor for resisting longitudinal creeping movements of a railroad rail comprising a bar bent intermediate its ends to provide arms, one of which extends beneath the rail and is provided with an abutment for engaging a vertical edge portion of the rail base at one side of the rail and the other arm extends lengthwise of the rail along a vertical edge portion of the rail base at the other side of the rail and is provided with a bearing surface engaging this edge portion at a location adjacent said first mentioned arm but diverges outwardly relative to the rail from said bearing surface to the end of the arm and is adapted to be tensioned by forcibly flexing it in a direction toward the rail, whereby manual movement of the diverging arm about its said bearing surface in a direction toward the rail moves the first mentioned arm to a position extending diagonally across the rail base, tensions the diverging arm and forces said abutment and said bearing surface into resilient gripping engagement with the opposite edges of the rail base, and fastening means engaging the diverging arm to resist movement thereof away from the rail comprising a tie-plate formed with an opening for receiving the extremity of said diverging arm and having means providing an abutment for` engaging the vertical edge of the rail base at the other side of the rail.

3. A rail anchor for resisting longitudinal creeping movements of a railroad rail in either direction comprising a bar bent at a location substantially midway between its ends to provide arms, one of which extends beneath the rail and is provided with vertically extending abutments at opposite vertical edges of the rail base, which abutments are spaced apart a distance greater than the width of the rail base to facilitate ready application of the device to the rail, and the other arm extends lengthwise of the rail along a vertical edge portion of the rail base at the outer side of the rail and is provided with a bearing surface engaging the last mentioned edge of the rail base at a location adjacent the first arm but diverges outwardly from 'the rail from said bearing surface, whereby exing of the diverging arm toward the rail moves the nrst menn tioned arm to a position extending diagonally across the rail base, tensions the diveiging arm, and forces said bearing surface and the abutment at the ,opposite side of the rail into resilient holding engagement with the vertical edges only of the rail base, and means for holding the diverging arm in its inwardly flexed position comprising a depending portion at the extremity of the divergn ing arm and a tie-plate formed with an opening for receiving said depending portion.

4. A rail anchor for resisting both forward and reverse creeping movement of a railroad rail comprising a bar bent intermediate its ends to provide two resilient arms which define an obtuse angle, one of the arms being adapted to extend beneath the base portion of a railroad rail and is formed with vertically extending abutments for loosely engaging over the opposite vertical edges of the rail base when the arm beneath the rail stands at right angles to the length of the rail, and the .other arm being formed with a rail bearing surface adjacent the rst mentioned arm and curved outwardly from the adjacent edge of the rail base and adapted to be flexed toward the adjacent edge of the rail and thereby tensioned to hold the first mentioned arm in a position diagonally across the rail and to press said bearing surface and the said abutment at the other side .of the rail into resilient shackle gripping engagement with the opposite edges of the rail base, and means for holding the second arm under tension comprising a downturned portion on the arm and a tie-plate formed with an opening to receive said downturned portion.

5. A rail anchor for resisting both forward and reverse creeping movements of a railroad rail in either direction comprising a bar bent intermediate its ends to provide two resilient arms which define an obtuse angle, .one of the arms being adapted to extend beneath the base portion of a railroad rail and is formed with vertically extending abutments for loosely engaging over the opposite vertical edges of the rail base when the arm beneath the rail stands at right angles to the length of the rail, and the other arm being formed with a bearing surface adjacent the first arm and is curved outwardly from the adjacent edge of the rail base and being adapted to be flexed toward the adjacent edge of the rail and thereby tensioned to hold the rst mentioned arm in a position diagonally across the rail and to press said bearing surface at one side of the rail and the abutment at the other side of the rail into shackle gripping engagement with the vertical edges of the rail base, means for holding the said arm under tension comprising a downturned portion on the second arm, a tie-plate formed with an opening to receive said downturned p0rtion, and an angular lip .on said downturned portion for interlocking with the lower surface of the tie-plate.

RO-BERT S. STEPHENS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,777,990 Moore et al. Oct. 7, 1930 2,226,035 Warr Dec. 24, 1940 2,252,116 Clarkson Aug. 12, 1941 

